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GALILEO vs. Fake News

GALILEO vs. Fake News. GALILEO WINS! Russell Palmer, Asst. Director, GALILEO Support Services. What is fake news?.

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GALILEO vs. Fake News

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  1. GALILEO vs. Fake News GALILEO WINS! Russell Palmer, Asst. Director, GALILEO Support Services

  2. What is fake news? • “Fake news is frequently used to describe a political story which is seen as damaging to an agency, entity, or person[…]it is by no means restricted to politics, and seems to have currency in terms of general news.” --Merriam-Webster Online

  3. Fake news facts • 67% of people get at least some of their news from social media • 64% believe it causes confusion about facts • 23% have posted/reposted a fake news story (14% knew, 16% oops) • 46% somewhat (over) confident and 39% Very (over) confident in their ability to recognize fake news • More at Pew Research Center, Journalism and Media • http://www.journalism.org/2016/12/15/many-americans-believe-fake-news-is-sowing-confusion/

  4. “Now wait a minute, you just tossed out a bunch of percentages!” • How can we trust you? • I used a reliable/trusted source • I am able to review their statistical methodology in detail to see how they reached their conclusions • I cited it so that you can review it on your own time and compare it to other information

  5. Types of misinformation • Propaganda • Clickbait • Sponsored content • Satire/Hoax • Conspiracy theory • Pseudoscience • Misinformation • Error • Partisanship

  6. Examples

  7. Tactics (what to watch for) • Logical fallacies • Gaslighting • Lying with math and statistics • Lying with charts and graphs • Context, context, context

  8. Logical fallacies • Slippery slope • Hasty generalization • Post hoc ergo propter hoc • Genetic fallacy • Begging the claim • Circular argument • Either/or • Ad hominem • Ad populum • Red herring • Straw man • Moral equivalence • Read all about logical fallacies at the Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/

  9. Gaslighting • Context is important here • Manipulation tactic, “psychological warfare” • Deliberate distortions made (and repeated) to manipulate • Done to incite doubt and lower self confidence • Results in suppression of facts, repressing doubts/concerns

  10. Lying with math and statistics • The lie of averages • “Average income” • 1+2+ (5.5) 9+10=22/4=5.5 • 1+2+20+30+70+55+100+ (164.2)200+1000=1478/9=164.2

  11. Lying with charts and graphs (watch your axes!)

  12. Context, context, context

  13. Who fact checks the fact checkers?

  14. What else can I do? Evaluating sources • Critical thinking—where does the information in divergent reports interact? • There is almost always bias in conclusions; draw from facts • Controversial? Give it a day • Often, more details come to light • Anonymous sources • One? A few? Consider the source • They got it wrong! Did they retract or correct? • Outlets that do (vs. refusing to back down) are more trustworthy

  15. Fact checking sites –the basics • Duke University—Reporter’s Lab • https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking/ • FactCheck (Annenberg Policy Center) • http://www.factcheck.org • HealthNewsReview • https://www.healthnewsreview.org • Politifact • http://www.politifact.com • Snopes • http://www.snopes.com Explore more at: http://libguides.umw.edu/c.php?g=424264&p=2898977 And here http://guides.library.stonybrook.edu/fakenews/resources

  16. GALILEO wins! Databases that help • Academic Search Complete • Newspaper Source • Consumer Health Complete • Gale LegalForms • Statistical Abstract of the United States • Explora (kids) • What else do you use?

  17. How the Discover search can help • Research Starters –lots of facts, lots of links to more, lots of citations

  18. Ethically speaking… • We provide tools and access to information • Present accurate facts • Teach users to be media literate and apply the strategies we discussed today in their approach to the news and other media • Challenges: • Avoiding letting our own opinions/bias creep into the reference encounter • Treating those with wildly different opinions than our own respectfully

  19. Thank you! Russell Palmer Assistant Director, GALILEO Support Services russell.palmer@usg.edu • Slides available: • https://about.galileo.usg.edu/documents

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